Vaisnava Calendar Reminder Services

Note: Dates and times for vaisnava festivals offered in these services are 100% in accordance with the latest ISKCON GBC Vaisnava Calendar Committee's approved calculations made by their own software: Gcal 11.

Hera Panchami & Return Rathyatra

TRANSLATION
In the garden along the road from the Jagannatha temple to Gundica, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed various pastimes. A brahmana named Krishnadasa performed the bathing ceremony of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

TRANSLATION
“Tomorrow will be the function of Hera-pancami or Lakshmi-vijaya. Hold this festival in a way that it has never been held before.”
PURPORT
This Hera-pancami festival takes place five days after the Ratha-yatra festival. Lord Jagannatha has left His wife, the goddess of fortune, and gone to Vrindavana, which is the Gundica temple. Due to separation from the Lord, the goddess of fortune decides to come to see the Lord at Gundica. The coming of the goddess of fortune to Gundica is celebrated by Hera-pancami. Sometimes this is misspelled as Hara-pancami the section known as ativadi. The word hera means “to see” and refers to the goddess of fortune going to see Lord Jagannatha. The word pancami means “the fifth day” and is used because this takes place on the fifth day of the moon.

TRANSLATION
“Collect all kinds of small and large flags and ringing bells. Then decorate the carrier and have various musical and dancing parties accompany it. In this way decorate the carrier attractively.

TRANSLATION
In the morning, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His personal associates with Him to see Lord Jagannatha at Sundaracala.
PURPORT
Sundaracala is the Gundica temple. The temple of Jagannatha at Jagannatha Puri is called Nilacala, and the temple at Gundica is called Sundaracala.

TRANSLATION
“Externally He gives the excuse that He wants to participate in the Ratha-yatra festival, but actually He wants to leave Jagannatha Puri to go to Sundaracala, Gundica temple, the replica of Vrindavana.

TRANSLATION
“The Lord enjoys His pastimes day and night in various flower gardens there. But why did He not take Lakshmidevi, the goddess of fortune, with Him?”
Madhya 14.122
svarupa kahe,—suna, prabhu, karana ihara
vrindavana-kridate lakshmira nahi adhikara

TRANSLATION
Svarupa Damodara replied, “My dear Lord, please hear the reason for this. Lakshmidevi, the goddess of fortune, cannot be admitted to the pastimes of Vrindavana.

TRANSLATION
While Svarupa Damodara and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were talking, the procession of the goddess of fortune came by. She was riding upon a golden palanquin carried by four men and bedecked with a variety of jewels.

TRANSLATION
The maidservants bound the servants of Jagannatha, handcuffed them, and made them fall down at the lotus feet of the goddess of fortune. Indeed, they were arrested just like thieves who have all their riches taken away.
PURPORT
When Lord Jagannatha starts His car festival, He gives assurance to the goddess of fortune that He will return the next day. When He does not return, the goddess of fortune, after waiting two or three days, begins to feel that her husband has neglected her. She naturally becomes quite angry. Gorgeously decorating herself and her associates, she comes out of the temple and stands before the main gate. All the principal servants of Lord Jagannatha are then arrested by her maidservants, brought before her and forced to fall down at her lotus feet.

TRANSLATION
“But in the case of the goddess of fortune, I see a different kind of pride. She manifests her own opulences and even goes with her soldiers to attack her husband.”
PURPORT
After seeing the impudence of the goddess of fortune, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami wanted to inform Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the superexcellence of the gopis’ loving affairs. He therefore said, “My Lord, I never experienced anything like the behavior of the goddess of fortune. We sometimes see a beloved wife becoming proud of her position and then frustrated due to some neglect. She then gives up caring for her appearance, accepts dirty clothes and morosely sits on the floor and draws lines with her nails. We have heard of such egoistic pride in Satyabhama and the gopis of Vrindavana, but what we see in the goddess of fortune here at Jagannatha Puri is completely different. She becomes very angry with her husband, and attacks Him with her great opulence.”
(A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya-lila 14:106-139. texts and purports).

TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Please tell me of the varieties of egoistic pride manifest in Vrindavana.” Svarupa Damodara replied, “The pride of the gopis is like a river flowing with hundreds of tributaries.

TRANSLATION
“The heroine who is a combination of sobriety and restlessness always jokes with equivocal words. She sometimes praises her lover, sometimes blasphemes him and sometimes remains indifferent.

TRANSLATION
“There is no flaw or adulteration in the love of the gopis; therefore they give Krishna the highest pleasure.
PURPORT
Rasabhasa occurs when one’s relationship with Krishna is adulterated. There are different types of rasabhasa—first-, second-and third-class. The word rasa means “mellow,” and abhasa means “a shadow.” If one tastes one kind of mellow and something extra is imposed, that is uparasa. If something is derived from the original mellow, it is called anurasa. If something is appreciated that is far removed from the original mellow, it is called aparasa. Uparasa, anurasa and aparasa are, respectively, first-, second-and third-class rasabhasas. As stated in the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (4.9):
purvam evanusishtena vikala rasa-lakshana
rasa eva rasabhasa rasa-jnair anukirtitah
syus tridhoparasas canurasas caparasas ca te
uttama madhyamah proktah kanishthas cety ami kramat

TRANSLATION
“ ‘Lord Sri Krishna, who is the Absolute Truth, enjoyed His rasa dance every night during the autumn season. He performed this dance in the moonlight and with full transcendental mellows. He used poetic words and surrounded Himself with women who were very much attracted to Him.’
PURPORT
This verse is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.25). The gopis are all transcendental spirit souls. One should never think that the gopis and Krishna have material bodies. Vrindavana-dhama is also a spiritual abode, and there the days and nights, the trees, flowers, water and everything else are spiritual. There is not even a trace of material contamination. Krishna, who is the Supreme Brahman and Supersoul, is not at all interested in anything material. His activities with the gopis are all spiritual and take place within the spiritual world. They have nothing to do with the material world. Lord Krishna’s lusty desires and ail His dealings with the gopis are on the spiritual platform. One has to be transcendentally realized before even considering relishing the pastimes of Krishna with the gopis. One who is on the mundane platform must first purify himself by following the regulative principles. Only then can he try to understand Krishna and the gopis. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Svarupa Damodara Gosvami are here talking about the relationship between Krishna and the gopis: therefore the subject matter is neither mundane nor erotic. Being a sannyasi, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very strict in His dealings with women. Unless the gopis were on the spiritual platform, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would have never even mentioned them to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami. Therefore these descriptions do not at all pertain to material activity.

TRANSLATION
“Radharani is grown up, and Her character is equipoised. She is always deeply absorbed in ecstatic love and always feeling in the mood of a left-wing gopi.
PURPORT
The left wing and right wing of the gopis has been explained by Rupa Gosvami in Ujjvala-nilamani. The left wing is described in this way:

“A gopi who is always eager to be jealously angered, who is very enthusiastic for that position, who immediately becomes angry when defeated, who is never under the control of a hero and who always opposes Him is called vama, or a leftwing gopi.”
Srila Rupa Gosvami describes the right-wing gopis in this way:

TRANSLATION
“ ‘The progress of loving affairs between young couples is by nature crooked, like the movement of a snake. Because of this, two types of anger arise between young couples—anger with a cause and anger without a cause.’ ”
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Ujjvala-nilamani (Sringara-bheda-prakarana 102).

TRANSLATION
“At such times, the ecstatic symptoms of kila-kincita are awakened. First there is jubilation in ecstatic love, which is the root cause of these symptoms.
PURPORT
Whenever Srimati Radharani leaves Her house, She is always well-dressed and attractive. It is Her womanly nature to attract Sri Krishna’s attention, and upon seeing Her so attractively dressed, Sri Krishna desires to touch Her body. The Lord then finds some fault in Her and prohibits Her from going to a river crossing and stops Her from picking flowers. Such are the pastimes between Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna. Being a cowherd girl, Srimati Radharani regularly carries a container of milk and often goes to sell it on the other side of the Yamuna. To cross the river, She has to pay the boatman, and the spot where the boatman collects his fares is called the dana-ghati. Lord Sri Krishna stops Her from going, telling Her, “First You have to pay the fee; then You will be allowed to go.” This pastime is called dana-keli-lila. Similarly, if Srimati Radharani wants to pick a flower, Sri Krishna claims to be the garden’s proprietor and prohibits Her. This pastime is called kila-kincita. Radharani’s shyness arises due to Sri Krishna’s prohibitions, and ecstatic loving bodily symptoms called kila-kincita-bhava are manifest at this time. These ecstatic symptoms are explained in the following verse, which is from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Ujjvala-nilamani (Anubhava-prakarana 44).

TRANSLATION
“Lord Sri Krishna is thousands upon thousands of times more satisfied when He sees Srimati Radharani’s face light up from this combination of ecstatic love than He is by direct union with Her.
This is further explained in the following verse from the Ujjvala-nilamani (Anubhava-prakarana 46) of Srila Rupa Gosvami.

TRANSLATION
“ ‘May the sight of Srimati Radharani’s kila-kincita ecstasy, which is like a bouquet, bring good fortune to all. When Sri Krishna blocked Radharani’s way to the dana-ghati, there was laughter within Her heart. Her eyes grew bright, and fresh tears flowed from Her eyes, reddening them. Due to Her sweet relationship with Krishna, Her eyes were enthusiastic, and when Her crying subsided, She appeared even more beautiful.’

TRANSLATION
“ ‘Agitated by tears, Srimati Radharani’s eyes were tinged with red, just like the eastern horizon at sunrise. Her lips began to move with jubilation and lusty desire. Her eyebrows curved, and Her lotus-like face smiled mildly. Seeing Radharani’s face exhibit such emotion, Lord Sri Krishna felt a million times happier than when He embraced Her. Indeed, Lord Sri Krishna’s happiness is not at all mundane.’ ”
PURPORT
This is a quotation from the Govinda-lilamrita (9.18).

TRANSLATION
“The symptoms of various ecstasies that become manifest at that time are called vilasa.
PURPORT
This is described in the following verse, taken from the Ujjvala-nilamani (Anubhava-prakarana 31).

TRANSLATION
Svarupa Damodara said, “Timidity, jubilation, ambition, respect, fear and the characteristics of the left-wing gopis were all ecstatic symptoms combined to agitate Srimati Radharani.
PURPORT
This is explained in the following verse found in the Govinda-lilamrita (9.11).

TRANSLATION
“ ‘When Srimati Radharani saw Lord Krishna just before Her, Her progress stopped, and She assumed an attitude of opposition. Although Her face was slightly covered by a blue garment, Her two starry eyes were agitated, being wide and curved. Thus She was decorated with the ornaments of vilasa, and Her beauty increased to give pleasure to Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’

TRANSLATION
“ ‘When the bodily features are delicate and expertly curved, and when the eyebrows are very beautifully agitated, the ornament of charm, called lalita alankara, is manifest.’
PURPORT
This verse is from Ujjvala-nilamani (Anubhava-prakarana 56).

TRANSLATION
“ ‘When Srimati Radharani was decorated with the ornament of lalita-alankara, just to increase Sri Krishna’s love, an attractive curve was manifest by Her neck, knees and waist. This was brought about by Her timidity and apparent desire to avoid Krishna. The flickering movements of Her eyebrows could conquer the powerful bow of Cupid. To increase the joy of Her beloved’s love, Her body was decorated with the ornaments of lalita-alankara.’
PURPORT
This verse is quoted from the Govinda-lilamrita (9.14).

TRANSLATION
“This ecstatic dress of Srimati Radharani’s is called kuttamita. When it is manifest, She externally tries to avoid Krishna, and She apparently becomes angry, although She is very happy within.

TRANSLATION
“ ‘When the border of Her sari and the cloth veiling Her face are caught, She externally appears offended and angry, but within Her heart She is very happy. Learned scholars call this attitude kuttamita.’
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Ujjvala-nilamani (Anubhava-prakarana 49).

TRANSLATION
“Although Srimati Radharani was checking Her sari with Her hand, internally She was thinking, ‘Let Krishna satisfy His desires.’ In this way She was very pleased within, although She externally displayed opposition and anger.
Madhya 14.199
vyatha pana’ kare yena sushka rodana
ishat hasiya krishne karena bhartsana

TRANSLATION
“Srimati Radharani externally displays a kind of dry crying, as if She is offended. Then She mildly smiles and admonishes Lord Krishna.

TRANSLATION
“ ‘Actually She has no desire to stop Krishna’s endeavor to touch Her body with His hands, yet Srimati Radharani, whose thighs are like the trunk of a baby elephant, protests His advances and, sweetly smiling, admonishes Him. At such times She cries without tears on Her charming face.’

TRANSLATION
“Then the maidservants of the goddess of fortune said to the servants of Lord Jagannatha, ‘Why did your Lord Jagannatha abandon the great opulence of the goddess of fortune and, for the sake of a few leaves, fruits and flowers, go see the flower garden of Srimati Radharani?

TRANSLATION
“Being thus pacified, the goddess of fortune returned to her apartment. Just see! My goddess of fortune is opulent beyond all description.”

Madhya 14.214
dugdha auti’ dadhi mathe tomara gopi-gane
amara thakurani vaise ratna-simhasane
TRANSLATION
Srivasa Thakura continued to address Svarupa Damodara: “Your gopis are engaged in boiling milk and churning it to turn it into yogurt, but my mistress, the goddess of fortune, sits on a throne made of jewels and gems.”

TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told Srivasa Thakura, “My dear Srivasa, your nature is exactly like that of Narada Muni. The Supreme Personality of Godhead’s opulence is having a direct influence upon you.

TRANSLATION
“Vrindavana-dhama is made of transcendental touchstone. Its entire surface is the source of all valuable jewels, and the cintamani stone is used to decorate the lotus feet of the maidservants of Vrindavana.

TRANSLATION
“The gopis there are also goddesses of fortune, and they surpass the goddess of fortune who abides in Vaikuntha. In Vrindavana, Lord Krishna is always playing His transcendental flute, which is His dear companion.

TRANSLATION
“ ‘The damsels of Vrindavana, the gopis, are super goddesses of fortune. The enjoyer in Vrindavana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna. The trees there are all wish-fulfilling trees, and the land is made of transcendental touchstone. The water is all nectar, the talking is singing, the walking is dancing, and the constant companion of Krishna is His flute. The effulgence of transcendental bliss is experienced everywhere. Therefore Vrindavana-dhama is the only relishable abode.’
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Brahma-samhita (5.56).

TRANSLATION
“ ‘The anklets on the damsels of Vraja-bhumi are made of cintamani stone. The trees are wish-fulfilling trees, and they produce flowers with which the gopis decorate themselves. There are also wish-fulfilling cows [kama dhenus], which deliver unlimited quantities of milk. These cows constitute the wealth of Vrindavana. Thus Vrindavana’s opulence is blissfully exhibited.’ ”
PURPORT
This is a verse written by Bilvamangala Thakura.

TRANSLATION
When the Jagannatha Deity is carried, at intervals He is placed on cotton pads. When the ropes broke, the cotton pads also broke due to the weight of Lord Jagannatha, and the cotton floated in the air.

TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Ramananda and Satyaraja Khan to become the worshipers of these ropes and every year bring silken ropes from their village.
PURPORT
It is understood that silken rope was being manufactured by the local inhabitants of Kulina-grama; therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Vasu and Satyaraja Khan to get ropes every year for Lord Jagannatha’s service.

TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then informed Ramananda and Satyaraja Khan that this rope was the abode of Lord Sesha, who expands Himself into ten forms and serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
For a description of Sesha Naga, refer to Adi-lila (5.123–124).